# PhotoCircle vs Loop

The clearest difference is monetization model: PhotoCircle at free with in-app purchases against Loop's subscription. PhotoCircle also leads on ratings volume (127K vs 22) and chart position (#21 vs unranked). Loop's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PhotoCircle sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.29 per month and Loop sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for PhotoCircle against 4.8 for Loop. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PhotoCircle has 127K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of PhotoCircle's written reviews are positive against 100% of Loop's.

PhotoCircle ships an update fortnightly, Loop every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PhotoCircle | Loop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (127K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photocircle/id517539894/reviews)** | [4.8 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loop-private-photo-sharing/id1339817111/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **127K** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#21** | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PhotoCircle, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/517539897) | [Far Edge Studio LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/320570650) |

## What reviewers say

### PhotoCircle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photocircle/id517539894)

**Currently charting:** #21 Top Free · Photo & Video (US App Store)

Securely share photos, videos, and documents in private, invite-only albums. Perfect for families, friends, and organizations of all sizes, offering robust privacy controls and organizational tools.

**Highlights:** Invite-only albums, Secure photo and video sharing, Document sharing, Custom branding, Admin console, Canva integration

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PhotoCircle Pro Monthly | $1.29 | per month |
| PhotoCircle Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Great for sharing photos with family/friends
- 🚀 Convenient photo sharing
- 🚀 Seamless experience
- 👍 Robust privacy features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent ads disrupt experience
- 🐛 Buggy uploads and processing
- 🐛 Lack of sorting/organization options
- 🐛 Inability to delete photos
- 🐛 Unreliable video support

**Reported bugs**

- Photos not uploading in chronological order
- Inability to download multiple photos at once
- App crashing after recent updates
- Ads continuing to play after being closed

**Requested features**

- Add ability to sort photos by date, creator, etc.
- Implement a search function for albums
- Allow users to set a cover photo for albums
- Add option to mute/filter notifications from specific users or groups
- Extend video length limit beyond 10 seconds


### Loop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loop-private-photo-sharing/id1339817111)

Easily share photos and videos privately with friends and family in real-time. Create dedicated streams for events, control who can view or upload, and moderate content for a secure, intimate experience.

**Highlights:** Private photo and video streams, Real-time uploads, Role-based permissions (admin, member, viewer), Content moderation (approve uploads), Commenting and liking, Stream locking and date/time restrictions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| kith Paid Stream | $1.99 | one-time |
| Individual | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PhotoCircle free?

PhotoCircle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Loop free?

Loop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PhotoCircle or Loop?

PhotoCircle is rated higher. PhotoCircle averages 4.9 out of 5 from 127K ratings, while Loop averages 4.8 from 22 ratings.

### Do PhotoCircle or Loop have ads?

PhotoCircle shows ads; Loop does not.

### Which is updated more often, PhotoCircle or Loop?

PhotoCircle ships an update fortnightly, and Loop every 2 weeks. Most recently, PhotoCircle was updated on October 28, 2026 and Loop on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*